Today our group visited a wine cooperative in Saumur. Over 150 growers supply the cooperative with grapes that are processed at the Caves de Saumur. It was an enormous operation built ontop of an underground system of tunnels and caves that were constructed prior to WWII. We started in a room filled with vats that seemed miles high before continuing down a network of stairs into the cavernous abyss. The temperature dropped dramatically as the air grew damp. There was an entire underground network of bottles, oak barrels, bottling equipment, and pallets of wines. The caves were filled with the smell of yeast and molds that grew on the rock walls. We learned about the process of making wine, along with sparkling wines, and finished up the tour with a wine tasting. This evening for dinner our host father made paella. It was a perfect meal after a lengthy day.
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